ThE TRUE FREEdOM TRAil - Clover Sites
Journal November 2015
The True Freedom Trail Part One Patrick of Ireland—was a bold, unarmed missionary from northern England who sailed to the Emerald Isle in 435 A.D. He brought only twelve friends and a Bible to accomplish the task of liberating a land enslaved for centuries by warlords and gods of death.
There is only one true trail of freedom clearly discernable in history. It does not run through the lineage of conquerors such as Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon or Mao Tse-tung. Such conquerors have left in their wake countless broken lives and a legacy of wicked tyranny. In contrast, the true liberators who have blazed the trail of freedom have been humble yet powerful servants of God Almighty. Theirs is a legacy of people and nations blessed by liberty, equality, prosperity and the rule of law. Mathew Henry, the venerable Bible commentator, wrote,
How was Patrick able to peacefully transform these Stone Age peoples? One of the secrets of Patrick’s success was his deeply spiritual but eminently human character. Patrick combined the qualities of supernatural boldness with a deep love for people, regardless of status or rank. Patrick led individuals, from kings to “The rulers of the peasants, to personal In the Highlands at Loch Ness Lake and Urquhart Castle world conquered nafaith in Christ. In evtions and made them miserable. The apostles conery village he founded, he left his book, Liber Ex Lege Moysi, (the Book of the Laws of Moses). This book quered them for Christ and made them happy.” became the foundation for a more just and charitable The true freedom trail was carved by leaders inspired legal system and social structure to replace their often by Jesus Christ, filled with His compassion, and carcruel, pagan traditions. ried by His followers throughout the Roman Empire. Columba, a disciple of Patrick from Ireland, sailed Without legions of brutal soldiers, this devout Army to Scotland and landed on the island of Iona. From brought millions of people throughout the collapsthis base, Columba took very seriously the Great ing Roman Empire to faith in the one true God. By Commission of Jesus to make disciples of all nations the 5th century the trail traversed from Rome to the (peoples). Columba and his fellow believers marched two most remote and poverty-stricken nations in throughout Scotland and brought the earthly kings Europe—Ireland and Scotland. It is in those lands under the loving rule and protection of the true King. that we pick up the sweet scent of liberty in the 5th They served the people with sacrificial, loving deeds century. for thirty years. They gave the Scots the Bible as the In the desolate Irish and Scottish outposts we discover standard for a new society based on equality before the heroes who laid the foundations of Western Civithe law, local self-government and love for one’s lization. With few natural resources and a 2,500-year neighbor. Columba, a mountain of a man, founded history of pagan druidism, Ireland and Scotland were Scotland and died while on his knees praying in his transformed by a new kind of leader. That leader— continued on back 1
little chapel on the tiny isle of Iona. He changed the course of history. As a tribute to Columba’s faith, the kings of Scotland were buried on Iona for the next thousand years. Columba’s disciples, liberty-loving men and women of several succeeding generations, went from the monastery on Iona to England and led the pagan Angles and Saxons to Christ. Aidan launched his mission into England from Lindesfarne, another holy island off the northeastern coast of England. From there Aidan converted the king of the Saxons. He gave the Bible to the Saxon people as the basis for their new Christian civilization. Another disciple, Columbanus, left Iona and took the message of the Gospel of liberty through Christ to the nations on the continent of Europe.
liberty in America. But what does this brief overview of Scotland’s fight for freedom have to do with our present world crisis? It dramatically conveys the truth that regardless of the hopelessness of our times, God has always raised up courageous believers who can disciple the nations, including our own. I believe that
The powerful virtue of moral courage, coupled with sacrificial love, became ingrained in the character of the Scottish people. It is from this little forgotten peninsula that we see the freedom-loving Scots blazing the trail of freedom through the centuries. The Scots were Marshall teaching about the martyrs of Scotland in the Martyrs Graveyard at St. Andrews. constantly challenged and persecuted. future world-changers like Patrick and Columba are First the Romans attacked. Then the Vikings overalive and in training today. The American people have whelmed much of their land for three centuries. Then a deeply imbedded Christian conscience and love of foreign clerics forced their mystical religion, relics and liberty. Just as Scotland repented and returned again all, upon the people of Scotland during the Middle and again to their biblical roots, Americans can, and Ages. Then the English attacked them again and in my opinion, will do the same as godly leaders rise again for 600 years. up to proclaim God’s way out of our present maze. The Scots rose up under William Wallace and Robert Dr. Marshall Foster the Bruce and stood against the tyranny of the brutal king of England. After finally defeating the British in 1314, the Scots wrote the first national charter of liberty, declaring that all Scots should be free from tyranny and should live under the laws of God. The Declaration of Arbroath declares to the world that wicked, tyrannical kings should not be tolerated if Published monthly by: they abuse their people. It is the direct antecedent to The World History Institute America’s Declaration of Independence. It ends with P.O. Box 4673 this vow: “It is not for glory, nor riches, nor honors Thousand Oaks, CA 91359 that we are fighting, but for freedom—for that alone, (805) 523-0072 www.WorldHistoryInstittute.com which no honest man gives up but with life itself.”
Journal
The Institute embraces the providential view of history, which observes history as a purposeful saga under the direction of a loving Creator. This historical perspective has been the dominant view of Western Civilization from the time of Augustine in the 4th century A.D. to the present day.
But through it all a seed of the self-governing, Bible-centered church remained. In Part 2 we will continue to follow the trail of freedom through Scotland and to our Pilgrim Fathers and the founding of 2
The True Freedom Trail Part One Patrick of Ireland—was a bold, unarmed missionary from northern England who sailed to the Emerald Isle in 435 A.D. He brought only twelve friends and a Bible to accomplish the task of liberating a land enslaved for centuries by warlords and gods of death.
There is only one true trail of freedom clearly discernable in history. It does not run through the lineage of conquerors such as Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon or Mao Tse-tung. Such conquerors have left in their wake countless broken lives and a legacy of wicked tyranny. In contrast, the true liberators who have blazed the trail of freedom have been humble yet powerful servants of God Almighty. Theirs is a legacy of people and nations blessed by liberty, equality, prosperity and the rule of law. Mathew Henry, the venerable Bible commentator, wrote,
How was Patrick able to peacefully transform these Stone Age peoples? One of the secrets of Patrick’s success was his deeply spiritual but eminently human character. Patrick combined the qualities of supernatural boldness with a deep love for people, regardless of status or rank. Patrick led individuals, from kings to “The rulers of the peasants, to personal In the Highlands at Loch Ness Lake and Urquhart Castle world conquered nafaith in Christ. In evtions and made them miserable. The apostles conery village he founded, he left his book, Liber Ex Lege Moysi, (the Book of the Laws of Moses). This book quered them for Christ and made them happy.” became the foundation for a more just and charitable The true freedom trail was carved by leaders inspired legal system and social structure to replace their often by Jesus Christ, filled with His compassion, and carcruel, pagan traditions. ried by His followers throughout the Roman Empire. Columba, a disciple of Patrick from Ireland, sailed Without legions of brutal soldiers, this devout Army to Scotland and landed on the island of Iona. From brought millions of people throughout the collapsthis base, Columba took very seriously the Great ing Roman Empire to faith in the one true God. By Commission of Jesus to make disciples of all nations the 5th century the trail traversed from Rome to the (peoples). Columba and his fellow believers marched two most remote and poverty-stricken nations in throughout Scotland and brought the earthly kings Europe—Ireland and Scotland. It is in those lands under the loving rule and protection of the true King. that we pick up the sweet scent of liberty in the 5th They served the people with sacrificial, loving deeds century. for thirty years. They gave the Scots the Bible as the In the desolate Irish and Scottish outposts we discover standard for a new society based on equality before the heroes who laid the foundations of Western Civithe law, local self-government and love for one’s lization. With few natural resources and a 2,500-year neighbor. Columba, a mountain of a man, founded history of pagan druidism, Ireland and Scotland were Scotland and died while on his knees praying in his transformed by a new kind of leader. That leader— continued on back 1
little chapel on the tiny isle of Iona. He changed the course of history. As a tribute to Columba’s faith, the kings of Scotland were buried on Iona for the next thousand years. Columba’s disciples, liberty-loving men and women of several succeeding generations, went from the monastery on Iona to England and led the pagan Angles and Saxons to Christ. Aidan launched his mission into England from Lindesfarne, another holy island off the northeastern coast of England. From there Aidan converted the king of the Saxons. He gave the Bible to the Saxon people as the basis for their new Christian civilization. Another disciple, Columbanus, left Iona and took the message of the Gospel of liberty through Christ to the nations on the continent of Europe.
liberty in America. But what does this brief overview of Scotland’s fight for freedom have to do with our present world crisis? It dramatically conveys the truth that regardless of the hopelessness of our times, God has always raised up courageous believers who can disciple the nations, including our own. I believe that
The powerful virtue of moral courage, coupled with sacrificial love, became ingrained in the character of the Scottish people. It is from this little forgotten peninsula that we see the freedom-loving Scots blazing the trail of freedom through the centuries. The Scots were Marshall teaching about the martyrs of Scotland in the Martyrs Graveyard at St. Andrews. constantly challenged and persecuted. future world-changers like Patrick and Columba are First the Romans attacked. Then the Vikings overalive and in training today. The American people have whelmed much of their land for three centuries. Then a deeply imbedded Christian conscience and love of foreign clerics forced their mystical religion, relics and liberty. Just as Scotland repented and returned again all, upon the people of Scotland during the Middle and again to their biblical roots, Americans can, and Ages. Then the English attacked them again and in my opinion, will do the same as godly leaders rise again for 600 years. up to proclaim God’s way out of our present maze. The Scots rose up under William Wallace and Robert Dr. Marshall Foster the Bruce and stood against the tyranny of the brutal king of England. After finally defeating the British in 1314, the Scots wrote the first national charter of liberty, declaring that all Scots should be free from tyranny and should live under the laws of God. The Declaration of Arbroath declares to the world that wicked, tyrannical kings should not be tolerated if Published monthly by: they abuse their people. It is the direct antecedent to The World History Institute America’s Declaration of Independence. It ends with P.O. Box 4673 this vow: “It is not for glory, nor riches, nor honors Thousand Oaks, CA 91359 that we are fighting, but for freedom—for that alone, (805) 523-0072 www.WorldHistoryInstittute.com which no honest man gives up but with life itself.”
Journal
The Institute embraces the providential view of history, which observes history as a purposeful saga under the direction of a loving Creator. This historical perspective has been the dominant view of Western Civilization from the time of Augustine in the 4th century A.D. to the present day.
But through it all a seed of the self-governing, Bible-centered church remained. In Part 2 we will continue to follow the trail of freedom through Scotland and to our Pilgrim Fathers and the founding of 2
